Fluid-clutch.



M. A. KETTLER.

FLUID CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26. 1911.

RENEWED AUG. 3, l9l4.

Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- I /Mw o w mm: m 5 7 1 .Z W T Q a Z. 7L u 4 mm m.

M. A. KETTLER.

FLUID CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26. 19H. RENEWED AUG. 3. I914- 4 S'HEETS-SHEET 2.

314mm Q? Q #224,. A,

6mm u Patented June 13, 1916.

M. A. KETTLER.

FLUID CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 26, 1911. RENEWED Aug, 3, 1914.

Patented June 13, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- MILTON A. KETTLER, 0F WASHI NGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FLUID-CLUTCH.

1 ,186,1iti0. Specificatio Letters Patent Patented June 13, 19916.

Application filed September 26, 1911, Serial No. 651.335. Renewed August 3, 1914. Serial No. 854,852.

To all whom it m (1y concern Be it known that I, Mnxrox A. KETTLER, a citizen of the Fnited States. residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Clutches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to transmission gearing, and has for its object the production of a liquid clutch. which is also capable of being positively driven. and one which will transmit large units of power from the driving to the driven shaft with less shock than those heretofore proposed.

\l'ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views:Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a clutch built in accordance with my invention; Fig. i is an end view partly broken away showing the connections between the controlling mechanism and the controlling valves; Fig. 3 is a half sectional view taken along a plane passing in the direction of the line 3, Fig. :2, and looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 1 is a sectional view on a reduced scale taken on the line -1-1 of Fig. 1', Fig. 5 is a sectional view also on a reduced scale taken on the line of Fig. 1; and. Figs. (3, 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views showing the relative positions of the valves and abutments when the driving member has rotated through an angle of 90.

1 indicates any suitable driving shaft, to which is rigidly attached the front plate 2 bolted as at 3 to the driving casing 1, having on its other side bolted as at 5. the back plate (3 provided with the stuffing box 7 through which the driven shaft 8 passes, as shown. The clutch casing l is provided with a plurality of sets of hollow chambers 9. 10. 11 and 1'2 which are precisely alike, and one of which sets 9. is best shown in Fig. *1. These sets of chambers merely serve to lighten the clutch casing. Between the individual chambers of each set and spaced 120 apart around the circumference of the clutch casing are sets of three valves as shown in Fig. i. The valves associated with the hollow chambers .9 are lettered 13, 11 and 15 respectively, and the semi-circular recesses in which they are located are lettered 1(3. 17 and 18 respectively.

From the mechanism so far disclosed, when power is applied to the driving shaft 1, the front plate 2, casing 1, back plate 6, hollow chambers 9, 10, 11 and 12 and valves 13. 11 and 15 will all revolve around the driven shaft 8 as a center. Also mounted on the said shaft 8 is a sleeve '20 which passes through the back plate 6 as shown, and also passes through the back end 21 of the driven drum having a front end 22 which is mounted upon a neck 23 of a box gear 2%, to be described more fully below. The said front end 22 is keyed to the neck as at 25, and the said neck is loosely mounted upon the reduced end 26 of the driven shaft 8 as shown. Carried by the driven drum are two abutment cylinders 27 each provided with recesses 28, 9.9, 30 anal 31 angularly displaced with relation to each other, as illustrated, and each recess adapted to coact with a different set of valves, as will be more fully hereinafter described. 32 represents the back trunnions of the said cylinders 27, and 33 represents the front trunnions of said cylinders.

The hollow spaces 9, 10, 11 and 12 are provided with inner walls 36, 37, 38 and 39 respectively. which walls make a tight joint with the outer periphery $0, see Figs. 3 and r. of the driven drum, and said driven drum is provided with a wall 421 located just inside the inner periphery of the cylinders 27, as shown. Said driven drum is also pro vided with a wall 42 concentric with and extending outside of the wall 11, leaving a hollow space 43 between said walls 41 and 42, as will be clear from Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. a

In addition to the above, the driven drum is provided with the partition plates 44:, 15 and 46, which extend parallel to the front and back plates of the driven drum, as best shown in Fig. 3, and these partition plates serve in connection with the parts 36, 37, 38, 39 and 11 to form closed chambers in which the sets of valves operate, as will appear below. The abutment cylinders 27 pass through the partition plates 44, 15 and 16, and make tightjoints therewith.

The trunnions 32 and 33 of the abutment cylinders extend in the prolongatiomof the concentric wall -l2, and the" said cylinders operate in semi-circular recesses 18, all as will be clear from Fig. 4;

It results from the structure just disclosed that there exist sets of fluid chambers 50 corresponding to each. of the walls 36, 37, 38 and 39,.in each of which sets of chambers operate a set of valves such as 13, ll and 15, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and that each set of valves correspond to one of the depressions 28, 29, 30 or 31 in the abutment cylinders 27.

From the structure so far disclosed, should the various sets of valves be turned so as to not obstruct their corresponding chambers such as 50, then the driving shaft 1 will turn the outer clutch drum in the manner above disclosed, without turning the inner clutch drum at all. On the other hand, should the valves in each fluid chamber be so turned as to contact with the wall 42 of the driven drum, then as the outer clutch drum is rotated by the shaft 1, the fluid in the chambers such as 50 will be compressed between said valves and said abutment cylinders 27, and the inner clutch drum will. be rotated by said compressed fluid as will bemore fully hereinafter set.

forth. 7

On the other hand, should the various valves extend into their corresponding chambers, but not make a tight joint with the wall 42, then there would be more or less leakage past said valves and although the driven drum would receive power, yet.

at the same time, the valves-will constantly approach the abutment cylinders 27, and unless provision is made for the passage of said valves beyond said cylinders, the driven drum would be rotated entirely by the contact between said valves and cylinders.

In order to provide for the certain and automatic passage of the valves beyond the abutment cylinders, the trunnions 33 of said cylinders are provided with pinions 55, see Fig. 5, which engage idlers 56 meshing with a circular rack 57, carried by and rigid with the front plate 2, and therefore rotating with said plate and said valves. The gears are so proportioned that whenever a valve reaches an abutment, the valve. such as 13, enters its appropriate recess 28 in the abutment, and passes out of the same, as will be clear from an inspection of Figs. 4 and 6. Further, since the valves are'spaced 120 apart while the abutments are spaced 180 apart, it is evident that when a valve is passing an abutment, and therefore is not supplying power to the driven drum, one or more ofthe other valves have failed to reach their corresponding abutment, and are supplying power.

The inner or' driven drum being rotated by the means just described, the power received is transmitted through the front wall 22, the key and the collar 23 to the box gear 24, see Figs. 1 and 4, and this box gear is provided with an internal gear 59 which meshes with a pinion 60 slidably mounted upon the driven shaft 8, and turning therewith.

In order to reverse the driven shaft 8, it is provided with a long sleeve 62 mounted inside the sleeve 20 and provided with a box, the rear wall of which is lettered 63, the

top wall being lettered 64, and the front wall 65. In this box is also mounted a ring 66 provided with a flange 67 having-a ring 68 concentric with the said ring 66. The ring 66 is provided with an interior gear 70 with which the pinion 60 is adapted to engage when moved longitudinally of the shaft 8, and the ring 68 is provided with an interior gear 71 which engages a corresponding gear on a pinion 72, carried between the wall 65 of the box and the flange 67 of the ring 66.

In addition to the above, the box gear 21 is provided with exterior teeth which mesh with the pinion 72. It, therefore, resalts from the structure just described that when the pinion 60 is moved longitudinally of the shaft to disengage the gear 59, power is transmitted from the box gear 2-1 to the pinion 72 through the gear 71, the ring 68,

the flange 67, the ring 66 and pinion 60 to more or less shock would be experienced pa'ssed its every time a valve such as 18, abutment, owing to the fact that at this moment the power which said valve was imvparting to the driven drum, is suddenly taken off. Therefore,'in order to provide for the smooth and even transmission of large units of power, I add a plurality of fluid chambers, such as 50, along the shaft 8 and angularly displace the recesses 29, 30 and 31 corresponding to said chambers, around the circumference of the cylinders 27 so that while a valve of one set such as 13, is passing a given recess 28, for example, all the other valves adapted to coiiperate with the companion recesses 29, 30 and 31 are still delivering power to the'driven drum. It is evident that the system may be greatly extended, and it is even possible,-

spectively mesh vided with valve stems 130, 110 and 150 respectively, and these said stems are provided with pinions 131, 111 and 151 respectively which gear with idlers 132, 112 and' 152, respectively. These said idlers in turn mesh with pinions 133, 113 and 153 respectively. These said pinions are further provided with stems having twisted ends of high pitch 131, 111 and 151 respectively. These said stems, pinions. and idlers are finally turned so as to adjust the valves with relation to the fluid chamber-sin a manner which will be more fully disclosed below. In the next set of fluid chambers 50 corresponding to the hollow spaces 10, and to the recess 29, are a set of three valves 80, 81 and 82 in all respects like their corresponding valves 13, 11 and 15, but angularly displaced from their corresponding valves around the clutch by an angle of substantially 30, see Fig. 2. These said valves are respectively provided with the valve stems 83, 81 and 85 on which are mounted respectively the pinions 86, 87 and 88, which mesh with the idlers 89, 90 and 91 respectively. These said idlers in turn mesh with the pinions 113, 153 and 133 respectively, and are therefore turned by said pinions. In other words, from the construction so far disclosed, when the said stems are turned, not only will the said valves 13, 11 and 15 be adjusted, but the second set of valves 80, 81 and 82 will also be adjusted and to precisely the same amount. Further, since the first set of valves will pass through the recesses 28 in their respective abutments, the second set of valves will also by the same mechanism, pass through their recesses 29, which are angularly displaced about 90 with respect to the recesses 28. In like manner, I

provide, as shown in Fig. 2, a third set of,

valves 95, 96 and 97 mounted on the stems 98, 99 and 100 respectively. These said stems are provided with the pinions 101, 102 and 103 respectively, which also re- .with the, idlers 89, 90 and It, therefore, follows that an adjustment of the stems 131, 111 and 151 will likewise adjust this third set of valves in the same manner as were the first two sets. This third set of valves is angularly displaced around the clutch 30 in advance of the second set, and they cooperate with the recesses 38 in the abutments which are displaced 90 with respect to the recesses 29, as indicated in Fig. 1.

91, as shown.

,Lastly, in the embodiment of my invention.

here illustrated, l[ have provided a fourth set of valves which are displaced around the clutch 30 ahead of the third set, and which cotiperate with the recesses 31 in the abutments which are displaced 90 with respect to the recesses 30.

The valve stems for each set of valves are made sufliciently long to reach said valves, as indicated in Fig. 1, and pass through the framework of the driving drum, as shown. The stems of the fourth set are lettered 110, 111 and 112 respectively, and they are respectively provided with pin'ions 113, 111

and 115 engaging the idlers 112, 152 and 132 respectively. These said idlers are operated by the stems 111, 151 and 131 respectively, as above indicated; The mechanism above referred to for setting these various sets of valves in such positions as to provide the desired leakage in their respective fluid chambers, is as follows: As is best shown in Fig. 1 inconnection with the stem 151, these various valve controlling stems are twisted at a high pitch, and passing between a roller device 160 carried by the sliding sleeve 161 mounted on the sleeve 20, andcontrolled by the operatinglever 162. It is evident that as the sleeve 161 slides to and from the back plate 6, the said stems 131, 11 1 and 151 will be turned on their axes, and through the mechanism disclosed will move the valve according to the movement imparted to the lever 162.

In order that a positive clutch may be provided in my mechanism, I have shown a disk 165 provided with teeth 166 adapted to be engaged by the teeth 167 on the device 161, and I have provided. a friction ring 168 positively secured as at 169 to the back plate 6 for holding said ring firmly to said plate 6. It is obvious that when the teeth 167 engage the teeth 166, the device 161 will rotate with the back plate 6, and therefore with the front plate 5 and the driving shaft 1. The rotation of the device 161 causes the rotation of'the sleeve 20 by means of the key 170, and the rotation of said sleeve 20 through the fastening means 171 between said sleeve and the driven drum, see Fig. 1, causes the latter to rotate the driving shaft 8 by means of the pinion 60 and its coacting parts above disclosed. Suitable brake bands 175 and 176 may be applied respectively to friction wheels 177 and 17 8 carried by the sleeves 20 and 62 respectively, in order to further regulate the speed at which the shaft 8 may be driven.

The operation of my invention'will be clear from the foregoing, but may be briefly summarized as follows: As diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 8 and 9, when power is applied to the driving shaft 1, the valves such as 13, 11 and 15, see Fig. 1, will compress the fluid in the fluid chambers, such as 50, and through the pressure of said fluid against the abutments 27 willcause the inner drum and the driven shaft 8 to revolve. abutment, the said abutment is so turned by means of the gears 57, 56 and 55 as to cause said valve to pass through its appropriate As a valve such as 13, reaches its recess such as 28 in the abutment without any substantial loss of fluid. While a given valveisuch as 13 is passing its particular recess 28, at least one of the other valves, such as 14, and 15 areexerting pressure on the other abutment, to force the driven drum to turn onits axis. But, as disclosed above, if only one fluid chamber such as 50, and only one set of valves, such as 13, 1 4 and 15 were provided, then in transmitting large units of power, the shocks incident to-the reduction of power when a valve is passing its abutment, would be so great as to render the operation of the clutch uneven. and therefore I may provide any desired number of different sets of valves along the line of shafting 1 and 8, and have any desired number of valves operating to turn the driven drum while a single valve is passing its abutment. The different sets of valves are illustrated in Fig. 2, and each set coacts with a recess such as 29, 30 and 31 in the abutments, and of course, each set is provided with separate fluid chambers such as 50. Each set is precisely alike and is displaced around the clutch 30 apart in the illustrations shown, as will be clear from Fig. 2.

It results from the construction disclosed that since there is only one valve passing an abutment at a time, only a small fraction of the energy is taken off the driven drum during the moment of passing. and therefore, the shock in transmitting large units of power is very materially lessened. In fact, since the different sets pass their abutments at very close intervals when running at high speeds, and since the change of power transmitted is comparatively slight, a clutch may be built in accordance with my disclosure and run very smoothly even though large units of power are transmitted from the driving to the driven shaft.

In Fig. 6 one set of valves is shown with the valve 13 passing its abutment, while in Fig. 7 the same set of valves has moved approximately 30, and are in their driving positions, while one of the second set of valves, not shown in said figure, would be passing its recess 29, but at least one of its other valves would be operative. Further, in Fig. 8, the first set of 'alves 13, 14 and 15 have now moved and the second set of valves, not shown in said figure, would have moved 30, while one of the third set of valves would be in such a position as to be passing its recess 30. In Fig. 9 the first, set of valves has moved 90 while the second set has moved 60, the third set 30, and the fourth set would have one of its valves just passing its recess 31. From this disclosure, it will now clearly be evident that while only one valve is passing its abutment, a

large number of other valves may becaused to exert their full force in turning the driven drum.

Since the abutments 27 are journaled in the front and back walls 22 and 21 of the driven drum, it is evident that power will be transmitted through said abutments 27, said walls 22 and 21 and the rim wall 41, to the key 25 and box gear, no matter what sets or set of valves may be operative.

By a reference to Figs. 1, 4 and 5 it will be clear that my invention when broadly stated consists in a driving part, a driven part, a plurality of fluid chambers between saidparts, a plurality of valves one or more for each chamber carried by either the driving or driven part; a plurality of abutments, one or more for each chamber carried by the moving part which does not carry the 'alve, and means such as the gearing, for example, shown in Fig. 5, for connecting all the abutments with the moving part carrying the valves, and therefore with said valves so that as the valves are bodily carried around the clutch by the driving or driven part, as the case may be, the abutments are so turned on their trunnions by said connections as to insure that the recesses of said abutments will be brought to the proper positions to permit the valves to pass. In addition to the above, means are also provided for turning the valves on their axes, to regulate the amount of leakage that may take place as they are moved through the chambers.

The operation will be clear from the foregoing, but may be briefly summarized as follows z-Power being applied to the driving shaft 1. it is transmitted to the front plate 2, casing 4 and back plate 0, causing the hollow chambers 9, 10, 11 and 12, as well as the valves 13, 14 and 15 to all revolve around the driven shaft 8 as a center.

Should the various valves be so turned as to not enter their various chambers such as 50, for example, but to lie wholly within their chambers such. as 16, 17 and 18 (see Fig, 4), then the outer clutch drum comprising the parts 2, 4 and (l and the above chambers will revolve around the shaft 8 as a. center without any tendency of turning said shaft. But, on the other hand, should the said valves be turned so as to completely obstruct their corresponding chambers,-sueh as 50, for example, whereupon, in such case, the said valves would touch the wall 42 of the inner clutch drum, then the fluid caught in the chambers such as 50, would be compressed between each valve and their corresponding abutments such as 27, and power would be transmitted from the driving drum to the driven drum through said fluid and said abutments 27.

Again, should the various valves above mentioned, be so turned asnot to make a tight joint with the wall 42 (see Fig. 4:), then there will be more or less leakage of the fluid past said valves, and although the driven drum would in this case receive power, yet at the sametime, the valve will constantly approach the abutment cylinders 27, until the said cylinders are so turned by their gearing as to permit the said valves to enter their appropriate recesses such as '28 in the abutment. The valves being continuously carried around by the driven drum, as above stated, will pass out of their respective recesses, as will be clear from Figs. 4 and 6, and the said abutments will be correspondingly turned so as to prevent a leakage of fluid from one'chamber into the other. It is evident that when one valve is entering a recess, such as 28, and thereupon passing an abutment, it will not be supplying power to the driven drum. But, it is further evident that the other valves will not at such period have reached their recesses, and they therefore) will be supplying power.

The inner driven drum being rotated by the means just described, the power is transmitted through the front wall 22, the key 25 and the collar 23 to the box gear 24, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This box gear in turn transmits said power through the internal gear 59 and pinion 60 to the driven shaft 8.

In order that the driven shaft 8 may be reversed, the pinion 60 is moved longitudinally of the shaft to disengage the gear 59, whereupon power is transmitted from the box gear 24 to the pinion 72, through the gear 71, the ring 68, the flange 67, the ring 66, and the pinion 60, carried by said shaft 8.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features,-

except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is 1. In a fluid clutch the combination of "driving aiid""'driven drums having a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between them; a set of valves carried by said driving drum for each set of fluid chambers; said sets of valves being angularly displaced with respect to each other; a plurality of abutments having recesses carried by said driven drum one for each set of chambers and a valves; and gear connections between said abutments and driving drum, substantially as described.

2. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums having a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between them; a set of valves carried by said driving drum for each set of fluid chambers, said sets of valves being angularly displaced with respect to each other; a plurality of abutments for each set of chambers and valves carried by said driven drum, each abutment having a recess; and gear connections between said'abutments and driving drum, substantially as described. a

3. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and d;iven drums having a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between them; a set of valves carried by one of said drums associated with each set of chambers, each set of valves being angularly displaced around the clutch with respect to the preceding set; a plurality of abutments carried by the other drum each having a recess associated with each set of valves; and gear connections bet-ween said abutments and valve carrying drum, substantially as described.

&. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums having a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between them; a set of valves associated with each set of chambers, each set of valves being angularly displaced around the clutch with re spect to the preceding set; means for adjusting the leakage of said valves in said chambers; a plurality of abutments having recesses in said chambers associated with each set of valves; gear connections for so moving said abutments as to permit said valves'to pass; and a driven shaft and connections between said shaft and said driven drum substantially as described.

5. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums with a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between them; angularly displaced sets of driving valves for each set of fluid chambers; a set of angularly displaced driven abutments having recesses through which the valves are adapted to pass for each set of valves; gear connections whereby said valves are enabled to enter said recesses when said abutments are reached; stems on said valves; and gear connections by which said valves may be simultaneously turned to regulate the leakage in each chamber; substantially as described.

6. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums having a plurality of fluid chambers between them; a plurality of angularlyw displaced sets of valves associated with said chambers; an abutment cylinder having a plurality of angularly displaced abutments and recesses associated with said chambers; and means connecting said cylinder and driving drum, substantially as described.

7. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and 'driven drums having a plurality of fluid chambers between them; a plurality of sets of valves angularly displaced with respect to each other associated with said chambers; an abutment cylinder having a plurality of abutments and recesses angularly displaced with respect to each other associated with said chambers; and means connecting said cylinder and driving drum, substantially as described.

8. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums having a phi-- rality of sets of fluid chambers between them; a plurality of angularly displaced sets of valves associated with said chainbers; a plurality of abutment cylinders having angularly displaced abutments and recesses associated with said chan'ibers and valves; means connecting said abutments and driving drum; and means for regulating the leakage of said valves in said chambers; substantially as described.

9. In a fluid clutch the combination of driving and driven drums having a plurality of sets of fluid chambers between, 

